Vandal damages dinosaur model in Vernal


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VERNAL — The staff at the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum is hoping the public can help police find the person responsible for damaging one of the park's dinosaur models.

On Sept. 18 about 7:25 p.m., the unknown vandal — believed to be a man based on surveillance camera footage — hopped the fence around the park's outdoor dinosaur garden and walked up to the full-size model of an allosaurus.

“You can see this person on the surveillance video cranking on the arm shaking the model back and forth," said Mary Beth Bottomley, the park's curator of education.


In a year where our budget's tight, that's money we really don't have extra to be spending on these models.

–Steve Sroka


The vandal was unable to remove the model's right arm because there is a metal rod inside, but did damage the fiberglass shell. He also snapped off one of the model's claws before leaving the park.

"He shook the whole model and he could have very easily broke it off at its legs," said park manager Steve Sroka.

"It's very disappointing because we take great pride in showing off both the models, and the fossils inside the museum," he said.

Park employees were able to heat up the metal rod inside the arm and return it to its proper alignment, but they are still trying to determine how to patch the fiberglass. Only one other allosaurus model in the world is identical to the one in Vernal and the person who created the original mold has died, Sroka said.

Repairing the damage could cost at least $1,000, he said.


You can see this person on the surveillance video cranking on the arm shaking the model back and forth.

–Mary Beth Bottomley,


"In a year where our budget's tight, that's money we really don't have extra to be spending on these models," Sroka said.

Anyone with information about the incident may contact the Vernal Police Department at 435-789-5835 or the state park at 435-789-3799.

Contributing: Mary Bernard, Vernal Express

Email:geoff@ubstandard.com

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